Last Stand
by B Nunes
Summary: Knives has been saved by Vash but will he ever change his view on humans. Can Vash finally put him down for good.
1. Changes

Chapter 1: Changes  
  
Vash sat at the end of the bed deep in thought over the events that recently passed. He stared at Knives, his brother, who lay unconscious after their recent duel in which Knives became injured. He started to go over what exactly happened back there.  
  
***********  
  
Vash stood over Knives body. Wolfwood's cross-shaped gun in hand. Finger on the trigger. The barrel aimed at Knives head. Knives stared up at Vash. Vash seemed to be peering into Knives soul. All that could be seen were the white's of his eyes.   
  
Knives started to have a fit of coughing. He was having some trouble breathing due to his injuries.  
  
"Can you really kill me Vash?"  
  
Vash just kept on staring. Though Knives looked calm deep down he was beyond fear. Staring into those eyes he saw the pain in Vash's eyes. The pain that has left its signature into Vash's body.   
  
"CAN YOU SHOOT ME AGAIN VASH!? CAN YOU KILL YOUR OWN BROTHER!?"  
  
"You.killed them."  
  
"What?" Knives stared at Vash befuddled.  
  
"You...murdered. YOU KILLED PEOPLE!!!! AND FOR WHAT HUH?"  
  
"You're not thinking clearly Vash. These humans. LOOK AT THEM. They are savages. They kill each other each day. They eat up their resources. THEY HAVE NO COMPASSION FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENT. Can you sit here as our brethren die out because these imperfect beings just don't give a shit about anything but their own survival?"  
  
"That's not true. There are some good humans. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE ANOTHER'S LIFE"  
  
"Are you gonna go cry huh Vash," Knives said while laughing. "I never imagined she had such an impact on you. She was a very naive girl to believe that humankind could really change. She deserved to die."  
  
Knives started to feel uncomfortable. He knew that remark had hit home hard. Vash started to shake.   
  
"Take that back," his voice was shaking in his fury. "TAKE IT BACK." Knives just spit at him.  
  
Suddenly Vash pulled the trigger and Knives ceased to talk. Blood was pouring out of Knives' right hand, the same hand Knives took off of Vash's body. Vash started crying. He thought about Rem.  
  
"No one has the right to take another's life"  
  
"I need you Rem."  
  
************  
  
Suddenly Knives began to stir and Vash came back to reality. The doctor's had said that Knives will have limited use of his right hand but should be fine in a couple of days. It had already been a week since that incident.  
  
Knives finally woke up. He felt dizzy and couldn't see very well. He looked up and all he could see was a red blur.  
  
"Where the hell am I?"  
  
"We're at the house of a doctor. However we will have to leave now that you are awake. The docter doesn't feel his family is safe with `Vash the Stampede' at his house. Who could blame him though?"  
  
Vash began to think about all the bad things that happen around him and how he became dubbed, Vash the Stampede. Everywhere he goes people die. Two towns were brought to ruins. Half a town was massacred. It was all his fault. It's as if he was destined to bring destruction to this world. He is even responsible for the hole in the fifth moon.   
  
Suddenly he heard the voices of Milly Thompson and Meryl Strife. They were from the Bernadelli Insurance Company. They were assigned to watch Vash and make sure nothing was destroyed because of him. Overtime however they became good friends and between he and Meryl maybe even more.  
  
"Hey Vas...Oh," Meryl stopped short when saw Knives was awake. "How is he?"  
  
"I'm fine thank you.And who might you be?"  
  
"I'm Meryl and this is my partner Millie"  
  
"Hi there I hope you get better real soon," said Millie. She was always a kind person. Even in front of this madman.  
  
Knives stared at Meryl. He saw how much she resemble Rem. "She looks just like her eh Vash. Is this why you stick around with them?"  
  
"Shut up. You're lucky to still be alive."  
  
"Why didn't you kill me huh Vash. Is it cause of your silly philosophy? How much longer do you think you'll live Vash? You're a threat to these people. Why do you protect them when they despise you? And what in the world made you think that I will suddenly change."  
  
Knives started to stand. That's when it him. His right arm was completely immobile. He started to laugh a bit.  
  
"Is this your way of paying me back for your arm? All that sleep has made me stiff. I need to stretch out a bit." He started to walk out and he noticed his gun was on a dresser in the room. He picked it up and saw it had 2 bullets in it. "I wonder...what it would take to get you to realize how foolish your ways are."  
  
"Huh"  
  
Suddenly in the flash of an eye Knives turned around and two shots were fired. Two bodies hit the floor almost simultaneously. Knives then ran out. "Idiot.did you really think that I'd change."  
  
Vash got up. As soon as he looked around he was shocked. There lay the doctor's wife dead. She must've been coming to check up on them. And there lay Millie. A bullet between her eyes. She died instantly. Tears began welling up in Vash's eyes. Meryl just sat on the floor in utter disbelief. Suddenly the doctor came in with a rifle in hand. He didn't see Knives shoot his wife and assumed it was Vash.  
  
"YOU REALLY ARE A MONSTER. YO...YO...YOU KILLED MY WIFE!!!," he cried while tears poured out of his eyes.  
  
"You're right," Vash said."...I killed her." He started to walk out. Meryl was still on the floor. She began to cry uncontrollably. The doctor followed Vash.  
  
"STOP! YOU DON'T GET OFF THAT EASY. I...I...I'LL KILL YOU"  
  
Vash stopped and looked into the doctor's eyes.  
  
"Will you really kill me? You're a doctor. Can you honestly say you will kill me?"  
  
Then the doctor dropped the gun and began crying. Vash just walked away. An hour later Meryl followed. Her eyes lit up like fire. And the same phrase going through her head: Knives must die!!! 


	2. Knives the Stampede

Disclaimer: Yada yada I dont own this just "borrowing"(hmph stealing) ideas :-p Oh and since I don't really have a map of Gunsmoke they may jump around to places that in the anime may seem far away....Get over it.  
  
Chapter 2: Knives The Stampede  
  
It had been 20 years since The incident. 'Vash the Stampede' was nothing more than a fairy tale told to little kids who didn't behave. "Vash will come and get you if you don't do your work," is what they'd say. Of course at that point nobody'd believe those threats since nothing had been heard of the legendary gunman. It's as if he had disappeared of the face of earth.  
  
Meryl got off the bus. She looked up at the sign in front of her. May City. She went and checked into the hotel. Meryl had also become a 'legend' of sorts. To this day she searched for Vash. She still believed he was alive. However since there have been no major disaster in 15 years well no one could believe him to be alive.   
  
When she left the doctor's house there was no trace of Vash. She decided it was better off that way. Nothing went right when anyone was near him. She returned to the Bernadelli offices and broke the news to everyone. Millie was dead. And Meryl stayed there for about 5 years. Then a call came in. It was called in as a Vash related disaster. Supposedly the entire city of December was reduced to nothing more than a city of dust and sand. When Meryl heard about it she almost knew Knives was responsible. She also figured that Vash wouldn't be too far behind. And after 15 years she's finally found him.  
  
Meryl looked for the place she knew he was. She started to walk around town.  
  
"Excuse me miss."  
  
"Huh?" She turned around and there was a bum on the floor. He was filthy. All he had on was a tarnished red coat that was in rags. And he reeked of alcohol. "I'm sorry I have no money."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry for bothering you. It's just you looked familiar."  
  
She walked into the bar. Supposedly they had hired a man that sounded just like Vash. Moderately tall, blonde hear and a long red trench coat. He was also known to enjoy the occasional drink or 2 or 10. She walked up to the counter and ordered some tea.   
  
"Hi there. I was wondering about that man you hired a while back. Tall blonde hair."  
  
"We're sorry but we had to fire him recently. He drank to excessively and was always drunk. He was also a very depressed man and was known to sit in the back and cry everyday."  
  
"Is he still living here?"  
  
"Well yea, if you can call it living. It won't take to long to find him. He's become a real boozer and constantly hangs around here bugging the customers. I don't know what I'll do about him."  
  
That's when she remembered that bum outside. She quickly ran out to where he was but there was no trace of him. She went back to the hotel.  
  
"Dammit. I missed him. He's probably long gone now."  
  
"I knew it was you." She turned around and a figure rose from the corner. Meryl doesn't know how she missed him sitting there. "It's been a while, huh?"  
  
"Yea I guess it has. My god what happened to you Vash? You look like shit."  
  
"Yea I guess I do. I could use a nice bath and some food."  
  
"Why don't you go take one and I'll make you some food."  
  
"Yea that'd be nice."  
  
**************  
  
"Well it's good to see you're all cleaned up." Meryl looked at Vash. Now she saw the true Vash. His hair reached a little lower than his shoulder. He had a little rash on his cheek from shaving. He was also getting a little pudgy from all that drinking. "Glad to see you've taken care of yourself. So what brought you out here?"  
  
"I don't know. I kind of just ended up here one day. And all I knew was that I didn't care anymore. I didn't care about Knives or Rem or…"  
  
"…Me? Do you still care about me Vash?"  
  
"I don't even know anymore. I just don't wanna live anymore. I decided to let Knives have his way. He probably thinks I'm dead."  
  
"So you've just given up huh. You're not Vash. You're just some punk."   
  
"What do you know huh? I've been alive for a very long time. And all I know is that wherever I go people die. ANYONE I COME INTO CONTACT WITH DIES. Well I've had it."  
  
"I'm not dead," Meryl replied.  
  
"Oh its just a matte...I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that," Vash said quickly as he noticed her expression change.  
  
Just then there was a loud explosion outside. People were screaming and running.   
  
"ITS VASH THE STAMPEDE! HE'S BACK!"  
  
"MWUHAHAHA I AM VASH THE STAMPEDE AND I'VE COME TO RID THE WORLD OF YOU PITIFUL HUMANS."  
  
Vash didn't even need to look outside. "Knives...We should leave quickly"  
  
"NO! I will not abandon these people. What happened to you?"  
  
"I can't... HOW CAN I KILL MY OWN BROTHER!? Think about it. If your brother became a murderer, could you kill him."  
  
"That man is not your brother. He is a monster. Fine stay here. I'm going to help those people."  
  
Meryl ran outside. She saw Knives. She also noticed a weird sort of weapon coming off of his arm. It looked almost like a tree with a ball in the middle. What the hell is he she thought to herself.  
  
"He is a plant," said Vash as he was walking out.  
  
"What thats impossible." She said with a sort of fake laugh on her voice.  
  
"But its true. I too...am a plant."  
  
"Ah Vash, so good to see you brother. I must thank you girlfriend over there. She lead me right to you. It may have taken a while but now I've found you...brother."  
  
Vash looked around and noticed there was no one there. A minute ago people were screaming and now they have vanished he thought. How can it be. "Where the hell are the townspeople? WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!"  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't worry bout them. We must kill the spider if we want to save the butterfly. Isn't that right Vash? Don't worry one day you will learn and you will realize how foolish you truly are."  
  
Vash couldn't stand it anymore. He reached for his gun... but it wasn't there.  
  
"My my Vash. Haven't you learned anything. You can't and never will kill me. But alas deep down I can't kill you either my birdbrained brother. I guess this would be what brotherly love is." Suddenly Knives aimed his plant-gun at Vash. "Well then. You know how it works. I'll wait til you leave. But I wont wait long."  
  
"C'mon Meryl." Vash led Meryl far away. They looked around. Nothing but sand. Vash felt pity for these humans. To have landed on such a desolate dry planet. Then suddenly there was a bright light. Meryl and Vash both turned their heads away. In an instant the town was reduced to nothing but a pile of dust.  
  
*************  
  
Vash and Meryl had wandered the desert for many days. They had run out of water. The heat had started to get to their heads. She was ready to kill something. Desert in all directions. Finally they came upon what looked like a town. It looked rather new in fact. After entering they realized it was Felnarl town. Vash thought about it for a sec and then realized where they were. It was where he first met Millie and Meryl. Meryl was just glad to have found a town and made a mad dash for it.  
  
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!SLOW DOWN!" Vash was really out of shape. He had the gut to prove it to.   
  
Meryl didn't care she ran and ran and ran. Finally she got to a bar and as soon as she walked in the bartender didn't even need to ask. She and Vash were given to cups and a pitcher of water. Instantly Meryl chugged down the entire pitcher. Vash just looked on in despair. The bartender laughed and came around with another which Meryl shared with Vash...well if you call one cup sharing.  
  
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA! REENERGIZED!" exclaimed Vash. Then he started to think about what he would do. May City no longer existed. Its inhabitants dead. A tear began to ride down his cheek and onto the table. Meryl looked at him. She couldn't help feeling like crap about what happened. Then she remembered something.  
  
"Hey Vash I've been wondering...what happened to your gun(#NAME :-p)?"  
  
Vash looked up at her. He'd almost forgotten himself. "I...can't really recall. It was around when...well you know. After I left I caught up to Knives in a couple of days. Then there was a bright light and I couldn't remember anything else except that I lost my gun."  
  
"I see."  
  
Vash got up and walked out. Meryl took some offense but shrugged it off and followed her. It seemed like a nice enough town. In the distance they could here children playing. Meryl watched Vash a bit. In the past Vash would probably have joined them preaching 'Love and Peace' but now...he seemed so sad.   
  
"You should probably go. It's only a matter of time before Knives comes here. He's has begun his purge of humans. I don't know how safe you are around me."  
  
"I wont leave you Vash...I...I..."  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAH!!" Vash quickly turned and ran. Meryl followed behind. For someone who was complaining before he sure does run fast.  
  
Vash looked up and into his brother's eyes. "Why do you follow me dammit. I've given up go ahead and do what you must but why must you torture me so."  
  
"I am trying to teach you dammit. Until you learn the truth about these pitiful humans then I wont stop." Then suddenly Vash looked and saw that Knives held two guns.   
  
"So thats what happened to my gun." Then suddenly it hit Vash. Knives was moving his right hand with no trouble. "How the he..."  
  
"The great thing about plants is that you can pull of a leaf but it will eventually grow back. However your body has taken such a beating that you will never recover from your wounds. It sickens me to see what these humans have done to you. This is one of the many reasons they should be erased. Suddenly Knives hand began to deform. Meryl stared at him and saw the same plant gun with that energy ball in the center. She assumed this is what Knives used to destroy May, and god knows how many other cities.  
  
"Here's to a long life Vash." Suddenly a single beam was shot out of Knives' left hand. "As you can see I've improved the use of this gun and can now better control it." Then Knives turned and pointed the gun at Vash. "And this is a thank you present for what happened in August Vash." Suddenly a beam of light was shot at Vash and at the last moment Meryl jumped in front of Vash. As it is the beam proceded to travel through Meryl and hit Vash anyway, making her attempt ultimately futile. Knives couldn't help but laugh at a human's pathetic attempt to save Vash. Vash struggled and watched Knives walk away. Then he saw Meryl lying on the floor. He couldn't tell if she was dead or not. Then he blacked out.  
  
To be continued....  
  
Ch. 3: Solitude  
  
With Vash unconscious Knives is left to purge the human scum. Can Vash live side by side with Knives in their 'Eden.' Has Knives truly won. 


End file.
